Well pump



J. PENROD WELL PUMP May 8, 1934.

Filed Jan. 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY May 8, 1934.

J. PENROD WELL PUMP Filed Jan.A 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JOhnEn/-o ATTORNEY Patented May 8, 1934 WELL PUMP .lohn lenrod, Gkmulgee, Okla., assigner of onehali to Robert D. Thompson, Gkmulgee, Okla.

Application January 26, 1929, Serial No. 335,358

8 Claims.

This invention relates to pumps especially adapted for use in wells and an important aim is to provide a pump in which a protecting chamber is set up in the line of pressure between the tubing fluid and the sealing devices of the pump to protect such sealing devices rorn the increased pressure prevailing during the up stroke of the pump, there being means by which the limited volume of fluid that may find its way into the protecting 19 chamber is by-passed from the lower extremity thereof and reintroduced into the tubing by way of a passage provided for that purpose whereby the huid taken from the protecting chamber is caused at each stroke of the pump to scavenge the chamber free of sand.

rihe invention further contemplates a well pump in which the pressure on opposite sides oi the sealing devices, such as cups of the plunger, is equalized to minimize the tendency for fluid to work by the cups and produce excessive wear thereon and on the surrounding working barrel.

Another and equally important aim is to provide a well pump in which the foot valve, by which the pump is seated, is located at the bottom of g5 the aforesaid protecting chamber so that the circulation of iuid through the chamber is caused to maintain the foot valve free of sand and thereby allow of the unseating of the foot valve with ease when the pump is to be withdrawn to the 39 surface.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description,

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the improved pump in seated position,

Figure 2 is a similar View through the pump in Unseated position,

Figure 3 is a sectional View through the upper portion of the pump,

Figure 4 is a similar view through the lower portion of the pump.

ln the drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention the numeral 5 designates a housing or shell, the upper portion of which is provided with a coupling 6 through the medium or" which the 5o pump may be incorporated in a tubin The lower portion of the housing 5 is provided with a combined coupling and foot valve shoe 7, the lower portion oi which is threaded for connection with an anchor of any lnnd. The combined foot valve shoe and coupling 7 is bored longitudinally (Cl. 10S-201i) and is internally shouldered as indicated at 9 to form a seat for a toot valve 10. The foot valve is in the nature of a tubular body upon which a plun rality of cups are mounted and, of course, the cups are designed for fluid tight contact with the wall of the opening through the foot valve shoe to prevent the return of duid to the well.

In carrying out the invention, the uppermost cup of the foot valve l0 is preferably hush with the bottom of the counterbored or chambered portion l1 of the passage through the foot valve shoe so that the packing of sand between the cups and the wall of the passage is avoided.

A tubular conduit 14 is extended upwardly from the foot valve and is provided at the upper portion thereof with a piston 16 having a fluid tight contact with the inside wall of a movable working barrel 18. The piston 16 which is shown to be rigidly secured on the huid conduit 11i carries a packing body 20 upon which a thimble 22 is mounted movably. A spring 24 is coniined between oppcsed surfaces of the piston 16 and the thimble 22 and urges the thimble into pressure engagement with a packing 26 so that the packing is, in turn, forced outward into fluid tight contact with the wall of the movable working barrel 18.

rThe packing body 20 is enlarged intermediate the ends thereof as shown at 28 and above said enlargement is provided with a plurality of inm verted cups 30 having iluid tight Contact with the inner wall of the movable working barrel 18.

The conduit 14, the sealing devices 16, 26 and 30 and the members associated therewith form what might be said to be a relatively xed plunger, the upper portion of which carries a standing valve unit 32. It is believed to be clear that the space between the standing valve unit 32 and the traveling unit 34 on the upper terminal of the movable barrel 18 forms a pumping chamber into which iluid is admitted on the up stroke of the movable working barrel and from which uid is discharged on the down stroke of the movable working barrel.

The traveling valve unit 34 is connected in any suitable manner to the sucker rod 36 so that the movable working barrel may be reciprocated from the surface.

Figure l, 2 and 3 illustrate that a fixed liner 38 is suspended from the coupling 6 and that such liner closely embraces and has a substantially huid tight contact with the movable working barrel 18.

The lower portion of the depending liner 38 is provided with a clutching mechanism in the nature of a tube 40, the lower portion of which is longitudinally slotted and is internally restricted to form a plurality of spring dogs 42 adapted for pressure engagement with the upper side of the head 42 of the foot Valve so that the foot valve may be held in a firmly seated position without the necessity of a very tight contact of the cups of the foot valve with the foot Valve shoe 7. The opposed contacting surfaces of the spring dogs 42 and the head 43 are oppositely bevelled so that when a predetermined upward pull is applied to the plunger 14, the foot Valve is unseated.

At this point it might be explained that the lower portion of the movable working barrel 18 is provided with a sleeve nut 45 embracing the plunger 14 loosely and which when moved upward to an extent greater than the normal up stroke of the pump will come into pressure engagement with the piston 16 and thereby overcome the spring dogs 42 and the frictional contact between the foot valve and the seat thereof and bring about the unseating of the pump for elevation to the surface,

The movable Working barrel is shown to be spaced inward from the clutching member 40 to cooperate therewith and the conduit 14 in the formation of an annular protecting chamber 48 directly in the line of pressure between the tubing uid and the sealing devices 26 and 30 so that such sealing devices are protected effectively, especially during the up stroke of the pump. As is known, it is the up stroke of the pump that produces the pressure found to be so destructive to the cups and other parts of the pumps used in wells.

The annular chamber 48 is surrounded by and is in constant communication with an annular return passage 50. Figure 4 illustrates that the return passage 50 defined by the housing 5, the depending liner 38 and the clutching member 4G, extends upward from and communicates with the chamber 48 through the medium of the counterbored portion or chamber 11.

The upper portion of the shell 5 is threaded into a lower section of the coupling 6 and has communication with a valve chamber 52 therein, there being one-way valves 54 controlling the flow of fiuid from the passage 50 into the valve chamber 52. Figure 2 illustrates that a plurality of ports 56 allow of the flow of fluid from the valve chamber 52 into the tubing.

In operation of the improved pump, the single working barrel 18 is reciprocated within the depending liner 38 and beyond the ends thereof to maintain the same free of scale and other accumulations known to be destructive. More specifically, the working barrel 18 is of a length greater than that of the depending liner 38 so that on the extreme positions of the Working barrel, the terminals thereof will extend beyond the depending member 38. In this manner, the pump is not only scavenged of scale and the like, but the outer surface of the working barrel is allowed to cleanse itself of settling sand.

The close working fit between the barrel 18 and the depending liner 38 will prevent the increased tubing pressure prevailing on the up stroke from forcing tubing fluid down into the protecting chamber 48 in sufficient volume to produce and excessive pressure in such chamber. In fact, the area of contact of the working barrel 18 with the member 38 is increased constantly during the up stroke of the pump and the volume of the chamber 48 is concurrently increased so that there will be a near absence of pressure in the chamber 48 on the up stroke of the pump. In this manner, the undersides of the sealing devices 26 and 30 are protected from the increased pressure on the up stroke.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that on the up stroke of the pump a diminished pressure will prevail on the undersides of the sealing devices 26 and 30. ttention is now directed to the fact that on the up stroke a diminished pressure will also prevail on the upper sides of the sealing devices 26 and 30. In explaining this, attention is invited to Figure 8 which illustrates that on the up stroke of the working barrel 18, well fluid is drawn by vacuum into the main pumping chamber in the working barrel so that the uppersides of the sealing devices are relieved of excessive pressure. Thus, the upper stroke of the pump is accompained by diminished or near absence of pressures on opposite sides of the sealing devices 26 and 30.

Now, during the down stroke of the working barrel, tubing pressure will prevail within the pumping chamber and the volume of the charnber 48 being concurrently reduced, the pressure therein, will be increased to approach or equal that prevailing in the pumping chamber and the tubing. In other words, the pressure prevailing in the chamber 48, will be greater on the down stroke than on the up stroke and such pressure will be found to approximate the pressure prevailing within the pumping chamber and the tubing.

Should wear of the member 38 allow of the slippage of an increased Volume of fluid into the chamber 48, each down stroke of the working barrel 18 may be relied on to expel such fluid or a portion of it by way of the return passage 50. Thus it is, that such fluid as may enter the protecting chamber 48 is returned to the tubing and is caused to carry with it such sand as may have accumulated within the chamber l1.

In summarizing, it will be seen that the volume of fluid allowed to enter the protecting chamber 48 on the up stroke of the pump is substantially less than the displacement of the working barrel in said chamber so that during the ascent of the working barrel and the concurrently increased Volume of the chamber 48 a diminished pressure will prevail within said chamber. Consequently the sealing devices of the pump will be protected from the increased pressure prevailing on the up stroke.

As illustrated in Figure 4, there is a limited space between the opposed surfaces of the conduit 14 and the surrounding portion of the working barrel and this space is in communication with the surrounding chamber 48 through the bore of the nut 46. The limited space between the plunger and the surrounding portion of the Working barrel offers a measure of protection to the undersides of the sealing devices on the plunger 14 and such protection is reduced during the up stroke of the working barrel. However, full compensation for such reduction in protection is provided by the concurrently increasing area of contact or overlap of the outer surface of the working barrel with the depending liner 38.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a pump for use in wells, a relatively fixed plunger, a working barrel embracing said plunger, a housing having a coupling, a liner carried by said coupling and closely embracing said working barrel, said liner cooperating with said plunger in the formation of an annular chamber communicating with the interior of said working barrel and constituting a means protecting said annular chamber, said liner being spaced inward from said housing and cooperating therewith in the formation of a fluid passage constantly communicating with said annular chamber.

2. In a pump for use in wells, a housing having upper and lower couplings, a fixed liner carried by said upper coupling and being provided with a clutching member, a plunger having a foot valve adapted to seat in said lower coupling and being engaged by said clutching member, said clutching member and said plunger cooperating in the formation of a chamber, a working barrel receiving said plunger and extending into said chamber to vary the volume thereof, there being means by which fluid expelled from said chamber is directed through said housing exteriorly of said working barrel.

3. In a working barrel, a housing having upper and lower couplings, a Xed liner carried by the upper coupling and extending into said housing, a clutching member a plunger having a foot valve received in said lower coupling and engaged by said clutching member, a working barrel closely embraced by said liner and receiving said plunger, said clutching member and said plunger cooperating in the formation of a chamber receiving said working barrel and having the volume thereor varied by said working barrel, said clutching member and said liner being spaced inward from said housing to form a passage communicating with said chamber, and a valve controlling said passage.

4. In a pump for use in wells, a housing having upper and lower couplings, a plunger having a foot valve adapted to be received in said lower coupling, a working barrel receiving said plunger, a liner having a foot valve engaging member cooperating with said plunger in the formation of an annular protecting chamber, said liner and said foot valve engaging member being spaced inward from the housing to form an annular return passage communicating with said chamber to receive iiuid therefrom.

5. In a pump for use in wells, a housing having upper and lower couplings, a plunger having a foot valve adapted to be received in said lower coupling, a working barrel receiving said plunger, a liner having a foot valve engaging member cooperating with said plunger in the formation of an annular protecting chamber, said liner and said foot valve engaging member being spaced inward from the housing to form an annular passage communicating with said protecting chamber, there being a substantially fluid tight contact between said liner and said working barrel.

6. In a pump for use in wells, a housing having a coupling, a plunger having a foot valve seated in said coupling, said coupling being provided with a chamber surrounding the upper portion of said foot valve, a liner having means engaging said foo-t valve to hold the same in place and cooperating with the said plunger in the formation of a protecting chamber communicating with said rst named chamber, said housing being spaced radially outward of said liner and said means to cooperate therewith in the formation of a fluid passage communicating with said i'lrst and second named chambers to receive iiuid therefrom, and a working barrel receiving said plunger and having a close contact with said liner to resist the descent of uid, said fluid passage being formed at the upper portion thereof with a valve controlled outlet.

7. In a working barrel, a housing having a coupling, a fixed liner carried by said housing and located therein, a clutching element carried by said liner and having a foot valve received in said coupling and engaged by said clutching member,l a movable working barrel closely embraced by said liner and receiving said plunger, said clutching member and said plunger having spaced portions cooperating in the formation or" a chamber receiving a portion of said working barrel and having the volume thereof varied by said working barrel to cause a circulation of fluid about said clutching member.

8. In a pump for use in tubed wells, a plunger having sealing devices, a movable barrel having an open lower portion receiving said plunger and having a valved upper portion, means embodying a liner closely embracing the barrel and positioned between the tubing uid and the said lower end of the movable working barrel tending to equalize the pressures at opposite ends of said sealing devices on the lifting stroke of the working barrel, a housing surrounding said liner in spaced relation thereto and cooperating therewith in the formation of a return passage, and a valve controlling said passage, said passage having communication with the said open portion of said barrel.

J OI-IN PENROD. 

